Witness claims Sena backing

Gupta said the Sena had organised the press conference addressed by him in Mumbai on July 26, 1997 to answer the allegations levelled by Bhujbal.“I was lodged in a hotel at Bandra when my counsel, advocate Varsha Pallav, told me that Bhujbal had called me a criminal, and so it would be in mine and the Sena’s interest to address a conference, which was being organised by the Sena”, Gupta told advocate Vijay Pradhan, counsel for the commission.

He also said his meeting with governor Dr P C Alexander on the same day to submit a reply to a representation forwarded by Bhujbal was also organised by the Sena. “However, I met the governor alone and no Sena activist accompanied me”, he added.He also admitted that his advocate, Varsha Pallav, was a Sena activist.

“But I was the one who approached her for preparing the affidavit which I filed before the commission,” Gupta said. When asked which Sena leader had arranged his meeting with the governor, Gupta pleaded ignorance, however reiterating that it was definitely organised by the Sena.

Asked whether he was aware about the inquiry being conducted by the Crime Branch of the Mumbai police into the matter, Gupta replied that additional commissioner of police (crime), S P S Yadav recorded his statement.

He also claimed that on July 9, 1997, he had met Bhujbal at his residence, where the latter asked him to garland Dr Ambedkar’s statue with chappals which he had refused to do. Later, advocate Pradhan sought a copy of the police report on the inquiry into Gupta’s allegations against Bhujbal. Counsel for the police advocate Balkrishna Joshi objected to the report being made public.